cuisines

Word family

• cuisine
  nounB1
• culinary
  adjectiveB2
• cook
  verbA1
• cook
  nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cuisine refers specifically to the food culture of a place or people — it implies a coherent set of ingredients, techniques, and dishes that define a region. Cooking is the most general term: it describes the act of preparing food and says nothing about cultural identity. Gastronomy is more formal and academic; it focuses on the appreciation of fine food and the art of eating well, often with a sense of expertise and refinement. A culinary tradition is the historical and social side of cuisine — the recipes and practices passed down through generations. You might say 'Thai cooking' when describing how a friend makes a stir-fry at home, but 'Thai cuisine' when talking about the national food culture as a whole. A restaurant reviewer might praise the gastronomy of a Michelin-starred kitchen, while a food historian documents the culinary traditions of an immigrant community.

Common collocations

Etymology

Borrowed into English from French cuisine, meaning 'kitchen' or 'cooking,' which developed from the Late Latin coquina (kitchen), itself derived from the Latin verb coquere, 'to cook.' The word entered English in the late 18th century and gradually shifted from referring to a physical kitchen to describing the characteristic food and cooking style of a region.